Lockdown offer: Adopt cobra @ Rs 2k/per annum, elephant @ Rs 1.75 lakh at Bengaluru zoo

Bengaluru, May 1 () Wish to adopt an Indian cobra foras low as Rs 2,000 per annum or Asiatic elephant for Rs 1.75lakh ?

Bengaluru's Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) has comeout with a programme during the lockdown period for thoselooking for an opportunity to conserve wildlife and adoptanimals at the zoo. Certain privileges such as gift voucher for zoo visit anddisplay of name in adoption board would be extended foradopting an animal, depending upon the adoption amount. "The animal adoption programme is an opportunity for youto get involved in supporting feed and veterinary careexpenses for zoo animals with provision for Income Tax rebateunder 80G. There are 21 elephants which can be adoptedonline!" say zoo officials.

The BBP has released a list of animals that can beadopted.

One can adopt the likes of King cobra and Indian rockpython for Rs 3,500 per year, and jungle cat and AssameseMacaque for Rs 5,000.

Adoption of black buck and sambar will cost you Rs 7,500per year, Emu Rs 10,000, spot-billed Pelican Rs 15,000, Goldenjackal Rs 20,000, Indian leopard and sloth bear Rs 35,000,Zebra 50,000, Hippopotamus Rs 75,000, and Bengal tiger andGiraffe a flat Rs one lakh, among others. "The purpose of the adoption programme is to createawareness and connect with people involved in conservationactivities, not just generating revenues," the ExecutiveDirector of the government-run BBP, Vanashree Vipin Singh told on Friday. "We dont run this programme with profit motive."

The zoo, which sees an annual footfall of around 15 lakh,has been closed since the middle of March following lockdowndeclared in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It received arecord 23,000 people on a single day on January 1 this year.

The animal adoption initiative is part of the BBPsoutreach programme as people are not able to visit the zoo dueto the lockdown.

In other times, interested people sign up to adoptanimals during their visits to the zoo, she said. Vanashree said post the lockdown, the zoo would not beopened immediately.

BBP would study the situation, put in place socialdistancing, disinfectants and hygiene protocols in place,among others, before taking a call to throw open the zoo forpublic.

It would come out with a dos and donts list, and arevised strategy in terms of admission capacity and relatedthings.

An online survey would be held to understand issuesaround fears of the public in visiting the zoo and theirexpectations from the BBP, among others, Vanashree said.

"Online ticketing will only be there" after the zooreopens, she said but hastened to add that BBP would also haveemergency kiosk to accommodate people who dropped in withoutbooking, depending on the capacity available as it does notwant to send people back or make them wait for long hours. RSVS VS